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Nigel Baker

Ambassador to the Holy See (2011-2016)

Part of UK in Holy See

3rd July 2014

The Anglican Centre: an essential presence in Rome

Archbishop Sir David Moxon at the Papal Inauguration
Archbishop Sir David Moxon at the Papal Inauguration

The recent visit of the Archbishop of Canterbury – Justin Welby’s second since he and Pope Francis began their respective missions in the same week in March 2013 – placed in the spotlight the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church across the world. One of the key instruments of that relationship is the Anglican Centre in Rome, whose Director, Archbishop Sir David Moxon (formerly Anglican Primate of New Zealand), is also the Archbishop of Canterbury’s Personal Representative to the Holy See.

The British Embassy to the Holy See represents the British Crown and government, and we do not interfere in relations between the two Churches. At the same time, we do see our job as helping to facilitate that relationship, on the basis of the deep historical ties between the two communions, the role of The Queen as Supreme Governor of the Church of England (the “mother Church” of Anglicanism, itself now present in 39 Metropolitan Provinces and 165 countries around the world), and the intrinsic value of good ecumenical relations as an aid to peace and prosperity in many countries across the world, from South Sudan to Sri Lanka.

The Anglican Centre was born out of the Second Vatican Council, in particular the ground-breaking 1964 Decree Unitatis Redintegratio (‘Restoring Unity’) which opened the way to better relations between the principal Christian churches; and the 1966 visit by Archbishop Michael Ramsay to Rome, the first ever official and public visit by an Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury. Since then, the Centre has been a focal point for the global Anglican Communion as a point of entry for understanding Roman Catholicism, and vice versa a place where Rome-based Catholics can learn about Anglicanism. It has spearheaded ecumenical initiatives, hosted the many visits to Rome since 1966 by successive Archbishops of Canterbury, and recently led the way in close collaboration with the Holy See in the creation of the Global Freedom Network against human trafficking, an ecumenical and inter-faith response to the global scourge of Modern Slavery.

The Pope has spoken about the “scandal” of Christian disunity, and the need for the different faiths to talk more often together. The Anglican Centre in Rome is a tangible example of the efforts being undertaken to repair at least one of the historical breaches in global religion that dog us into the 21st century. As such, it is a valuable partner for the embassy and an essential presence at the heart of the global Holy See network.

5 comments on “The Anglican Centre: an essential presence in Rome

  1. I don’t understand how the Anglican Archbishop is referred to as “sir.” By tradition, clergy receiving a knighthood are not dubbed, as the use of a sword is thought inappropriate for their calling. They are not able to use the title ‘Sir’.

    1. The explanation given by the Royal College of Arms, and endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, is that in Britain alone a knighthood given to a cleric means that the title is not used, by the accolade “ Sir “ , because the Church of England is the established church under the Queen as its governor . As you note, the title “ Sir “ implies a sword bearer sworn to defend the Queen’s life with a sword. Bishops are men of peace and do not bear arms.

      So British clerics who are properly knighted by The Queen use the letters of the knighthood after their name but not the title “ Sir”.

      However, in the British Commonwealth, of which New Zealand is a part, The Royal College of Arms and the Archbishop of Canterbury agree that this custom has not been followed. The Governor General of a Commonwealth country, acting on behalf of Her Majesty, is free to exercise the discretion to award the accolade “Sir”, since the Anglican clerics there are not part of an established church and those awarded knighthoods are not sworn to defend the Queen’s life with a sword. This has been the case for the knighting of Canadian, Australian, Melanesian and New Zealand bishops from the beginning, including the recent late Governor General of New Zealand Bishop Sir Paul Reeves, as well as the late Archbishop Sir Ellison Pogo of Melanesia.

  2. I am glad to see that the Anglican Church and the Roman Catholic Church are working in unison with Ecumenism in mind.

    I have moved away, and can no long commute to my church, which is a “one of a kind”: Anglican(Episcopal) and Roman Catholic Church. It is “The Church of the Holy Apostles Anglican(Episcopal) and Roman Catholic Church,” in Virginia Beach, VA. I had been going there for 5 yrs.

    It is sad that for over 35 yrs our church has flourished under the previous Roman Catholic Bishop, Walter Sullivan, who was the Bishop who had a vision for our church.

    He was instrumental in creating this church, with the full support of Rome, after Vatican II.

    Now, sadly we have been without our own Roman Catholic priest, after the previous one could no longer say the mass.

    We desperately need a Roman Catholic priest, if only to distribute the sacrament each week!

    Our current Bishop has turned down some priest applicants, as unsuitable, and reports have said, there are no “Ecumenical” priests who wish to serve or are unsuitable for our type of church.

    There have been many articles in the newspaper and the Catholic Virginian regarding our situation.

    Is this because the seminaries are turning out new priests that go back to the old teachings before Vatican II??? Why is not ecumenism being offered in these seminaries as a way to reach out to others? Or is it?

    We are desperate for a Roman Catholic Priest of our own. It is a part-time permanent position, with benefits. A retired priest would do well for us. We ask even for a Roman Catholic Priest to only distribute the sacrament at mass each week. How can this be happening to our congregation?

    Our congregation has been strong, faithful people who have worshipped side by side, has shared baptisms, confirmations, weddings and funerals, as well as outreach and served in community and charity events for over these many years.

    We were told to just go to another Roman Catholic church up the street.
    How can we separate our worship experiences after all these yrs of praying together and sharing our other activities as well. Some of us are very old and a big change is not an easy thing to leave friends and family members worshipping apart. We depend on each other. A church is “One” and cannot be separated.

    We have asked for so little from the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, VA, surely there can be an answer to our need. We have been praying for a very long time for a resolution to our vacant position. We want our church to thrive and be a strong testimony to the teachings of Christ.

    Please pray for our Bishop De Lorenzo and for a priest to fill our vacancy.

    As We continue to pray, we ask others for their prayers as well.

    Thank you

  3. A total waste of time and space. Catholic and Anglican can never and must not ever be united, the Anglicans are a protesting faith. If you are a true catholic, that is all what is necessary. True Catholic, nothing else.

  4. The increasing difficulty is identifying those who are truly Anglican, it seems from my limited perspective. A friend of mine was very proud of being a member of the Anglican Communion as an Episcopalian in the Diocese of Missouri, USA. He felt called to ministry, popped off the General Theological Seminary in New York, and he suddenly changed his tune and seemed to distance himself almost entirely from that position. He said they were more Protestant and not so much “Anglican”. Making it more confusing, though he buys in to all that is American Episcopalianism, he considers himself very high church, dog collar, versus Deum worship, etc… I understand the claim to “unity in diversity”. But I don’t know where the unity is!!

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About Nigel Baker

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as…

Nigel was British Ambassador to the Holy See from 2011-2016. He presented his Credentials to Pope Benedict XVI on 9 September 2011, after serving 8 years in Latin America, as Deputy Head of Mission in the British Embassy in Havana, Cuba (2003-6) and then as British Ambassador in La Paz, Bolivia (2007-11). In July 2016, Nigel finished his posting, and is currently back in London.

As the first British Ambassador to the Holy See ever to have a blog, Nigel provided a regular window on what the Embassy and the Ambassador does. The blogs covered a wide range of issues, from Royal and Ministerial visits to Diplomacy and Faith, freedom of religion, human trafficking and climate change.

More on Nigel’s career

Nigel was based in London between 1998 and 2003. He spent two years on European Union issues (for the UK 1998 EU Presidency and on European Security and Defence questions), before crossing St James’s Park to work for three years as The Assistant Private Secretary to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. At St James’s Palace, Nigel worked on international issues, including the management of The Prince of Wales’s overseas visits and tours, on the Commonwealth, interfaith issues, the arts and international development.

Nigel spent much of the early part of his FCO career in Central Europe, after an initial stint as Desk Officer for the Maghreb countries in the Near East and North Africa department (1990-91). Between 1992 and 1996, Nigel served in the British embassies in Prague and Bratislava, the latter being created in 1993 after the peaceful division of Czechoslovakia into the separate Czech and Slovak Republics.

Nigel joined the FCO (Foreign and Commonwealth Office) in September 1989. Between 1996 and 1998 he took a two year academic sabbatical to research and write about themes in 18th century European history, being based in Verona but also researching in Cambridge, Paris and Naples. The research followed from Nigel’s time as a student at Cambridge (1985-88) where he read history and was awarded a First Class Honours degree, followed by his MA in 1992.

Before joining the Foreign Office, Nigel worked briefly for the Conservative Research Department in London at the time of the 1989 European election campaign.

Nigel married Alexandra (Sasha) in 1997. They have one son, Benjamin, born in Bolivia in September 2008.

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